oOGhostsOo
by SilentTrainConductor
Summary: Stephen has dealt with many a thing, now he must face his ghosts...before he loses his closest friend.


Title: oOGhosts!Oo  
  
Rating: PG-13, safety rating  
  
Spoilers: None, this one's movie-verse -  
  
Notes (PLEASE DO ME THE FAVOR OF READING): Hello!! I wrote this story mainly because I wanted to share it, as well as share a picture I drew and colored of the dear captain and the doctor. It would give me pleasure if I knew someone went to go see, the link is on my info page thingy. Huh, my second Master & Commander story, the first dealing with death and this one with ghosts...I think there's a pattern here. This fic may become a series I don't know...tell me how you like this one if you please =D Thank you! It is a bit odd; I must warn you...but I guess you could say different, at least for Master & Commander...I ain't 'fraid of no ghosts! (Sorry I had to plug this in somewhere) Sorry for any mistakes in advance -  
  
Dedication: Two people have dedicated their stories to me and I feel I should do the same, I want to dedicate this firstly to lapsus calami, whose reviews warmed my heart and made me feel like I can write =). I thank you deeply lapsus calami, and I hope to see more of your works as well =). I would secondly like to thank Alone Dreaming, for writing so many fics on the friendship between Aubery and Maturin, one cannot get enough. =) For who ever is reading this I suggest you check out both of their stories and drop a line to them, they definitely deserve it! Also thanks to those who reviewed my last fic!! Thank you very much, even Bob, for I thought saltwater was bad for instruments, but I figured they wouldn't mind =)  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Master & Commander, unless Patrick O'Brien's ghost decides to come 'n visit, I'll try to ask then...  
  
Author: SilentTrainConductor  
  
**_oOGhosts!Oo  
_**  
The ship rocked unsteadily in the rough, yet oddly soothing waters. The moon was full in the clear night, with not a cloud to be seen, just the many stars that floated overhead. There was a slight breeze that carried the ship on it's rightly course, which Jack thanked for gratefully. He rubbed his palms together and looked out of the cabin window and turned to Stephen with a grin, which happened to be reaching for another piece of the warm toasted cheese in the pan in front of him.  
  
"Oh Stephen, how happy I am! What a glorious night! We should have no trouble getting into port by Wednesday." Jack stated happily, beginning to reach for his own piece of the toasted cheese.  
  
"Well I am glad of your joy, Jack." Stephen commented, struggling with a certain stubborn string of cheese. Jack chuckled as he watched his friend's difficulty on eating his food, and as he did so managed to choke on his own. Stephen smirked as he swallowed his bit and turned to the sheets of music atop of the table, which fluttered gently on their own. Stephen's brow furrowed and he felt a slight chill grow inside the cabin, he turned towards Jack who was still coughing as he was downing down his drink. Finally as Jack's trouble finished, he wiped his mouth, and noticed Stephen's unease.  
  
"Something wrong my dear doctor?" Jack questioned with concern with an eyebrow raised, as he noticed a slight sweat appear atop Stephen's forehead, and he seemed even paler than usual. Stephen didn't answer at first, and was slightly gasping, his eyes darting about the room; it seemed to Jack that he was looking for something.  
  
"Stephen?" he asked once more placing a hand on Stephen's shoulder. Stephen jumped at the touch and winced as he realized it was only Jack.  
  
"Forgive me Jack. I-I" Stephen ran his tongue over his dry lips and continued "I must beg to be excused, I seem to not be feeling well." Jack squeezed Stephen's shoulder in concern and gave him a look.  
  
"Of course dear doctor." Jack hesitated wanting to add more, but did not know what more to say. Jack feared for his friend and hoped that whatever he had it would soon pass. Stephen smiled noting Jack's concern and shook his head with a slight smile.  
  
"Do not fear for me Jack, it is nothing. I just need some rest, I think tonight I will sleep down below, in my other room."  
  
"Are you sure Stephen? Should you really sleep down there in your condition?" Stephen began his creaking laugh, and Jack gave a forced smile.  
  
"Condition Jack?" he said through his laughs. "Just a chill Jack, I will be fine. Trust me, I shall be better down below than in your cabin with you and your snores." Jack snorted at the last comment, but decided not to deny that he snored, seeing as how he didn't want to discomfort Stephen further with an argument.  
  
"Very well, a hopefully good night to you Stephen and may I see you in the morning."  
__

_oOoOo  
_  
The ship's surgeon, better to say physician, was muttering throughout his room as he looked for his spectacles he some how seemed to misplace. Stephen mused and wondered how they could disappear in a room that was a size such as this. There weren't many places they could've gone to...  
  
"Ah, Doctor looking for these?" cried a figure holding out the Doctor's spectacles, and Stephen kneeling on the floor didn't look up at his face, and accepted the spectacles greedily.  
  
"Thank you, Mr..." Stephen started as he got up from the floor and looked into the figure's face. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph!" Stephen cried and quickly crossed himself. He began muttering and quickly went sorting through the many doctrines he carried in his chest, looking at his labels and silently rejecting each one.  
  
"Doctor?" The figure questioned, uncertain of what to make of the doctor's actions.  
  
"Be quiet." Stephen hissed, "Be quiet, you-you- are not real...perhaps this sickness is more serious than I imagined." He said to himself, continuing with his search and gave a look of triumph as he found the bottle he was searching for and speedily opened it and downed its contents by drops. He gave a sound of pleasure as he finished and looked to the figure.  
  
"In a matter of moments, you shall be gone, vanished before my eyes and I shall get my rest."  
  
"I am afraid not sir, you see..."  
  
"See what Mr Hollom!? You are dead. I was at your funeral...Mr Blakeney saw you die...Why do I bother speaking with you? You are just one more hallucination and soon you will be gone." Stephen nodded to himself, and made his way to sleep, but Hollom stood in front of him.  
  
"Please Doctor, I know I am dead. But I must speak with someone Doctor, aren't you the least bit interested sir? To speak with someone who is no longer living?"  
  
"No I am not, I have enough conversation with the living, I thank you." Stephen stated with a bow. Mr Hollom's ghostly face saddened and he continued, trying to persuade Stephen.  
  
"Please Doctor, you and Mr Blakeney are the only ones who did not believe in the curse of the Jonah. I would have spoken to Mr Blakeney but I have no desire in frightening the boy."  
  
"Sure, but you do not mind giving me your hell and...death." Stephen paused, and he began circling Hollom. He looked up and shifted his spectacles and cleared his throat. "Well then Mr. Hollom, why are you here?" Hollom (or at least his spirit) looked down and slowly began to speak.  
  
"Sir, before I state my business let me just say...that your patient's deaths are not your doing sir, there is no need to hold onto them, sir."  
  
"Pardon?" Hollom bobbed his head.  
  
"Forgive me Doctor, let me explain...you see Doctor one becomes a spirit when they cannot go into their afterlife, for various reasons, whether it be simply because of reluctance or if they don't seem to belong any where else. Either way, there tend to be many of our kind around, especially out at see sir, especially out at sea." Hollom paused in reflection, and Stephen just stood there, his eyelids drooping. Perhaps he shouldn't have taken so many drops of his laudanum.  
  
"Sir, a spirits strength comes from its surroundings, that is why I almost look flesh and can pick up objects. This ship is where I am at my strongest."  
  
"And why is that Mr Hollom?" Stephen tried to stay focused, and wished for a clear head. He knew Hollom was saying something important, but all he could truly understand were brief mumbles and a word here or there.  
  
"Well Doctor, each member of the crew holds some sort of guilt, sometimes even the person themselves don't realize they hold onto it, but they do and it gives me strength. So it is then when I am called that person's phantom, sir. I belong to them since they give me the fuel for my spirit to thrive. Doctor, most people do carry a phantom around with them, many do not. But sir! I must admit that you carry the most spirits I have ever seen a person hold. Why even more than the Captain, sir. And I would know, since I happen to be one of them..." Now Stephen managed to make sense of what Hollom was saying and he scrunched up his nose.  
  
"I carry spirits? Jack as well does he?" He questioned, humoring his allusion.  
  
"Do you carry spirits? Like I said sir, the most I have ever seen! That is why I tell you to lose your guilt over your patients loss, each guilt you feel stays with you and gives strength to the spirits you carry. Sir, it may be good for the spirit, but horrible for you sir. Horrible for you."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Many symptoms occur sir, I make it sound like a disease, but in a way it is. You see the spirits (depending on who they are) follow you wherever you go, sometimes watching over you, which in itself is not a horrible thing, but others may turn against you and cause certain...misfortunes to occur." Hollom noticed Stephen's attention faltering and questioned it "Doctor?"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Are you feeling all right? One forgets in death that the living carry much pain."  
  
"Well, I am a bit drowsy, and can't you come back later? I am afraid I may fall asleep on you." Hollom gave a sad smile and nodded.  
  
"Of course sir, get your rest. And a good night to you, may I see you tomorrow then." Hollom started to fade away, with the same look of disappointment on his face, and Stephen rolled his tired eyes and motioned him back.  
  
"Come on then Hollom, I can always get some rest later. No wonder Jack was worried for me, I think I am losing my mind." Stephen sighed as he scratched his brow. He sat down and looked to the reappearing Hollom, they stared at one another in an awkward silence.  
  
"So Hollom, why are you here?" Stephen asked politely, not knowing how to start a conversation with a dead Mr Hollom, a figment of his imagination dead Mr Hollom, he reminded himself. Should he be worried for himself? No, he was too tired.  
  
"Well sir, one gets particularly lonely, being a phantom. You can't really associate with others, only some people can see us, like you sir, since you carry so many of us." Hollom's voice dropped to a whisper, "That is why you must ease your guilt sir, I fear for you. The more you have, you slowly become weaker, until you become one like us sir. I noticed how you became sick sir, a while ago with the Captain. You have been getting the 'chills' more often than usual have you not?" Stephen stayed silent, not wanting to admit it, he usually had them at night when he was alone and the captain was in a deep slumber. Hollom noted his silence as a sign of agreement.  
  
"Don't you see Doctor? Your spirits are becoming greedier, hungrier. They are constantly with you, more so during the night. They ease their way into your guilt, spreading it...until you feel very low, your defense becoming weaker, thus giving you your 'chills'." Stephen raised a strained eyebrow.  
  
"You know Mr Hollom? There is something different about you..."  
  
"I am dead, sir."  
  
"No, no...well I mean yes there is that, but you seem to have acquired a type of confidence in your death Mr Hollom, why your head is held up high. Dear Mr Hollom, no stutters. One would consider you a better man, were they able to see you now." Stephen gave a smile, and closed his eyes in a brief moment just a rest, and fell into a deep sleep. Mr Hollom too gave the sleeping doctor a smile, and whispered. "Thank you, sir." With proud tears in the corner of his eyes.  
  
_oOoOo_  
  
"Stephen! Damn it all, wake up Stephen!"  
  
The world of black was replaced with one of bright light.  
  
"Jack, I am dead." Stephen scrunched his eyes closed, once more and rolled over. "Leave me alone." He grumbled.  
  
"Finally Stephen! Poor Mr Blakeney came running saying he couldn't wake you." Jack's face still didn't lose its look of concern, and placed a hand to Stephen's back of his head, attempting to check for a sign of his sickness.  
  
"Get your hand off my head." Stephen mumbled through the other side, and Jack drew his hand away.  
  
"Stephen?" Stephen rolled over back to his rightful side and sighed.  
  
"Forgive me Jack, I do not act well in mornings."  
  
"Morning? My dear doctor, for it is already noon." Stephen grimaced, and opened one eye before quickly closing it again as the force of the light hit him.  
  
"I am not only dead, but blind as well." Jack's look of worry was still on his face, and he placed a hand on Stephen's head.  
  
"Stephen, perhaps I should ask Padeen to come and watch over you for a bit, you still seem to be very pale and sickly." Stephen stayed silent and looked to Jack out a slight slit through his eyelid.  
  
"I'm fine Jack." He finally grumbled as he made his way to sit, and found that he did not really feel fine. Jack noticed and gently pushed him back down.  
  
"Of course Stephen, just like you said you were fine moments after you were shot. No, no. I shall tell Padeen to come, as well as Mr Blakeney if you wish it. He asked me if he could, he is very concerned for you Doctor...It seems to me you have taken up the role of a father for him."  
  
"Huzzah, another mouth to feed." Jack gave a smirk, and made his way to stand up from the stool that was placed beside the doctor. "No Jack," Stephen started, noticing how his open book pages were slowly flipping by themselves. "I shall be fine on my own, I thank you. Tell Mr Blakeney that I will see him later, and that I expect him to bring his latest drawings with him, that is if you allow him to." Jack was not happy with his answer, but knew when Stephen would not budge.  
  
"Very well, I will tell Mr Blakeney that he may come after his watch. But I must tell you Stephen, that you are indeed not fine, and that when we get into port on Friday..." Jack was broken off by Stephen cutting in.  
  
"Friday? I thought you said by Wednesday?"  
  
"Yes, well it seems that the winds have grown stubborn making us go windward, hopefully the winds will die down soon."  
  
"Ah."  
  
"As I was saying Stephen, when we get into port, I suggest you see a doctor yourself. I know you say you are well, but in reality Stephen, you are the same shade as when you were shot." Jack nodded to Stephen as he made his way out. "Get some well-deserved rest Doctor."  
  
"Of course Jack. Rest I shall. I promise." Stephen gave a small innocent smile as Jack left with a suspicious look upon his face. Stephen waited for awhile, just to make sure Jack was no longer close and sat up muttering.  
  
"If Jack can break a promise so can I. Mr Hollom, I suspect that will be you looking through my book?" Stephen said with certainty, knowing there could be no wind coming into his room. Hollom's figure faded into view.  
  
"Doctor, I do not wish to disturb you—"  
  
"Nonsense, how many times must I say I am fine?"  
  
"Doctor, your spirits have been acting up because of my contact with you sir. They see me as a threat to them sir, since I am asking you to forget them, so they are getting greedier sir. So I know you are not fine, as you say."  
  
"Well sure, a dying man on the verge of life will do most anything to maintain it. But I suppose the matter is different on account of the spirits already are dead." Stephen nodded, still wondering if some part of him was sane...if only he knew someone else could see Mr Hollom. "Well no matter Mr Hollom, all I need to do is rid of my guilt, is that right?"  
  
"Yes sir." Hollom looked at Stephen in worry. "But seeing as how you carry many of it sir, it doesn't seem to go easy with you, the Captain on the other hand stays with his guilt when it is fresh and eventually lets it go, out in the open. While you keep it buried inside your self, building it up slowly and surely."  
  
"So how does Jack let his spirits loose then? How come I have never met any other spirits, if you say I carry so many?" Hollom gave a ghostly shrug.  
  
"I do not truly know the answer to your first question Doctor. But to your second, I can say that we spirits tend to shy away from those who carry us. We are naturally born greedy and find that once facing those that are racked with guilt for us, it is then when we soften and tell them not to worry. And seeing at how it comes from the spirit of the dead the one who holds us loses their guilt, thus diminishing us. I know it sounds awful of us spirits and our greed, but you must understand that it is our way. Only very few spirits overcome their greed for their love of the person." At that moment Mr Blakeney came barging in, his face stricken in worry and then changed to a slight horror as he noticed the spirit of Hollom speaking with the doctor. Hollom turned towards Blakeney with a smile on his face.  
  
"Do not feel guilty Mr Blakeney, there was no way you could have stopped me." With that Hollom vanished. Blakeney stood there with his mouth agape, opening and closing, in a way resembling a fish.  
  
"Doctor, did you see--?"  
  
"Yes, Mr Blakeney, he and I were having a most wonderful chat, that is till you decided to come in, what seems to be the trouble?"  
  
"Oh Doctor! It is the Captain sir! You see he was up on deck, and well up came a wave sir, it seems that we have got a storm coming on, either way, the Captain lost his footing sir in one of those rare times, and took a nasty tumble sir. He has yet to open his eyes!" Stephen quickly stood up from his sitting position, and tried to ignore his weakness.  
  
"Show me where he is." Stephen replied through clenched teeth, trying to stifle the pain that was coursing through him.  
  
_oOoOo  
_  
After examining Jack, Stephen came to the conclusion that he would have to perform the same surgery he had to with Joe Plaice. Stephen looked around at Jack's loyal crew, each one worried for their Captain. He looked back to Jack, and wished that he could do the operation under better circumstances. A storm was brewing, and he was weak. He politely asked them to carry the Captain below with extreme gentleness as he wondered what to do.  
  
_oOoOo  
_  
Stephen's spirits noticed how their host was in an emotional turmoil; they noticed how Stephen's dearest friend would soon die. They knew that soon the Captain too would become yet another of Stephen's spirits...it was only a matter of time.  
  
_oOoOo_  
  
Stephen paced throughout the cabin, trying to ignore Jack's unmoving form as well as his pain. He had to save Jack, there had to be a way. He stifled a moan and sat down. He looked to Jack and reached for his hand.  
  
"I will save you Jack, that I promise. I will not let up."  
  
_oOoOo_  
  
One of Stephen's spirits remembered the same words Stephen said to him, he looked to his companions, and they to had some familiarity with the words. The spirit cocked his head as he watched Stephen dearly clutching at his friend.  
  
He remembered a faint memory of what it was like to hold hope. He remembered how the Doctor helped him, never loosing it as so many of his sailor friends did. And so he shall help the doctor, for to the doctor there was always hope. And this time, he shall be that hope.  
  
_oOoOo_  
  
"That's odd." Cried Mowett, as he was looking to the waves.  
  
"What?" Bonden questioned, he too looking to the waves as well as the sky.  
  
"It seems there won't be a storm coming on after all." Mowett said with a grin. "Let that help the Doctor with the Captain."  
  
"Aye." Replied Bonden, "God bless them both."  
  
_oOoOo_  
  
Stephen noticed how the ship's rocking had calmed a bit, and gave hope on how that was a sign that the coming storm was not to be. If that were so the case, he would still have to wait for morning to perform the operation. Stephen looked to the unconscious Jack and gave him a tiny smile.  
  
"You see Jack? There is some of your luck as always coming through for you." Stephen winced and laid his head against the wall, painfully shutting his eyes. "I hope I shall have enough tomorrow for the operation my dear, if there is one that is." And gave a woeful sigh.  
  
_oOoOo  
_  
The spirit wondered if stopping the storm was enough, of course he had to borrow strength from the doctor, which meant the doctor would be weaker, but that was all right. He knew how to handle that problem as well.  
  
_oOoOo  
_  
Stephen kept his eyes shut, trying to block out the immense weakness and focus on running the operation through his head, and hoped that Jack would make it till the morning, but he had no doubt on that, for he never knew a time when Lucky Jack Aubery gave up.  
  
"Doctor?" Stephen opened his eyes and faced a phantom, a face that he said he would never forget, and hasn't. The phantom, seeing the Doctor's recognition gave a thin smile and nervously went on. "Doctor, there is no need to feel guilt for me. You did all you could sir, and that was more than enough for me." With that the phantom vanished, and left Stephen a bit clearer within. The phantom had sacrificed himself so Stephen would lose his guilt, and grow stronger. Stephen felt better on hearing the phantom's words, not quite believing, but knew this was not a time for doubts. So Stephen straightened himself up with still weak, but just a bit stronger, enough to make his hope on saving his friend strengthen.  
  
_oOoOo_  
  
The spirits looked on at the scene, with their ghostly mouths hanging open. What a fool, many of them thought. To become such a weakling once more is foolish, why should we sacrifice our strength for a mere doctor and his friend?  
  
Because, one answered back, the doctor would have sacrificed himself for us. And I plan on doing the same.  
  
The spirits conflicted amongst themselves, each one taking a side. One side persisting on how the doctor had did his best for them, the other complaining on how it did not manage to save them, had it?

_oOoOo  
_  
Deep within himself he knew there was a battle going on, and he knew that in order to save Jack, he would have to rid of his guilt in some way. He imagined those who he had not been able to save. He images came short when spirits with long ago faces came into view. Surrounding the cabin, some kneeling against the doctor, giving him reassuring smiles, others standing, not seeming happy about what they were about to do. One even caressed his cheek and planted a chilled kiss. He recognized the woman and squeezed her hand tearfully. She was holding a small child in her arms, which embraced him, the embrace itself felt like a stream of cool water rushing onto him, calming the troubling waters inside of him.  
  
Each one in turn looked into the doctor's eyes and calmly told him that their death's were not the doctor's fault. The woman with the child came last and she once again gave a chilling kiss and the child another embrace, as the child pulled away he spoke.  
  
"It goes to show you doctor, that we spirits are not so greedy as one would think." The boy gave a small wink and a smile before slowly fading away with the rest.  
  
_oOoOo  
_  
Stephen performed the surgery the next morning and stayed next to Jack's bedside, waiting for him to awaken. Stephen once again, hoping that he had done well enough for Jack to awaken and squeezed Jack's hand gently as he had been doing for the past many hours. This time however, Jack's hand squeezed back and slowly Jack began to stir.  
  
"...Stephen?"  
  
"Welcome back Jack, I was worried that it would be a long good while before you would truly awaken." Jack gave a weak smile and felt the bandage around his head. He then weakly looked to Stephen's tired eyes. Stephen gave a reassuring smile.  
  
"At one point your pulse greatly weakened, that was when I started really worrying. But as it always is with Lucky Jack, it managed to rise up."  
  
"There was at one point I did feel like giving up..." Jack admitted. "But I had the oddest dream where Mr Hollom spoke to me on how you were greatly pulling for me, he also said I shouldn't feel guilty for those I couldn't save..." Jack gave another weak smile as he closed his eyes. "Mr Calamy was also there, as well as Mr Warley...and many others..." Jack paused and opened his eyes to look to Stephen. "I sound like a mad man do I not?"  
  
"No Jack" Stephen managed to crack a smile upon his tired face. "No you do not." Stephen closed in his eyes in pleasure. He felt cold caresses touching upon his face, resembling those of the spirits. With each caress he remembered their great sacrifice for their friendship, and how in the end, one never seemed to lose hope on both of them.  
  
**Fin.**


End file.
